Some Then None
by Masked Revenge
Summary: When Ladybug and Chat start talking about family, Ladybug realizes she doesn't know a lot about her partner. But when the Agreste business starts to fall, Gabriel's new drinking habit puts Adrien in danger. But Ladybug won't let anyone hurt her crush or chaton. I wanted to write a story about neglect and abuse, so...here you go. Blood. Hurt!Adrien/Chat Noir. Abuse. Neglect. Fluff.
1. A Shaky Start

Ladybug jumped from building to building, watching for anything out of the ordinary. Her partner, Chat Noir was a little ways back, but still following. Ladybug loved Summer, it was warm, but not too hot, and they also had school off, which gave her more time to patrol the city. The silence was very peaceful, it was nice and refreshing. Silent. Quiet. It was quiet. Why was it so quiet? Ladybug looked back to see that Chat Noir had stopped and was looking out towards the city. Ladybug stopped running and headed towards her parked partner.

"Is something wrong?" Ladybug asked, looking out where Chat Noir was looking. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking." Chat said before sighing. "What about?" Ladybug asked, facing her partner. "Nothing important, just...family." Chat said. "Family's important. What about your family?" Ladybug asked. She felt like she might be starting to push it, and the topic could be getting too close to identities, but then she realized that she didn't really know too much about her own partner. Chat Noir sighed, then looked towards his partner. "Shall we continue M'lady?" Chat asked, bowing. The tip of Ladybug's mask raised up, indicating that she lifted her eyebrow, but she just replied, "We shall."

They started off again, and ended up on the top of the Agreste Mansion. Ladybug looked down to see a man walking into the castle of a home. 'Must be Gabriel' Ladybug thought to herself. 'The father of Adrien' She thought, smiling. No. She couldn't get caught up as Marinette while she was Ladybug. "Is that Gabriel Agreste?" Chat asked, pulling Ladybug out of her day-dreamy look. "Huh. Oh, yeah." Ladybug answered. "Why?" Ladybug asked, seeing her partner start to look worried and rushed. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering." Chat said, similarly to what he had said earlier.

He had to get in there. If his father was home, that means he would have Nathalie check up on him...Adrien. And if Adrien wasn't in his room filling out the paperwork for his next modeling gig, Nathalie would tell his father and things would get out of hand. "I, ah, have to go." Chat said, jumping off the side of the building. He felt bad for bailing on his lady like that, but it had to be done. He quickly but quietly snuck around the corner, making sure neither his father nor Ladybug saw him. De-transforming, he got back in his room seconds before Nathalie walked in.

"Have you finished your paperwork?" Nathalie asked. "Yes, almost finished." Adrien said, acting as if he had been working on it the entire time. And he was almost finished. Knowing he would be going on patrol with Ladybug, he finished most of the paperwork early in the morning. "Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes." Nathalie said, before closing the door. "That should give me enough time to get back to Ladybug" Adrien said to Plagg. "Plagg, claws out!" As soon as he transformed, he got a call from Ladybug. "Couldn't stand being without me?" Chat said as he opened his staff. "I found another akuma, I'll send you the coordinates." Ladybug said, not looking at the screen. "Go it. On my way." Chat said, closing his staff.

* * *

Chat Noir arrived to see Ladybug fighting what appeared to be the akuma. It was a girl no older than 5, and she was wearing a brown dress that flowed to her ankles. "My name is Terrify, and I can control the earth." The little girl said. "What happened?" Chat asked. "An earthquake. It destroyed her home and killed her mom." Ladybug said. "Oh." Chat said, knowing exactly how the little girl felt. Not having a mother figure in your life as you grow up can be the hardest thing to deal with. "You don't have to do this!" Ladybug yelled. "Nothing you do will bring her back, trust me!" Chat shouted, getting the girl's attention. Ladybug looked at her partner, then at her enemy.

The girl lowered to the ground, looking at her feet. A single tear streaked down her cheek. "I just want her back." The girl said in a small voice. Anger turned into sadness, then back to anger. "I will bring her back!" She yelled, raising her hands towards the two superheros. As the ground shook from underneath their feet, Ladybug noticed a small bracelet wrapped around the little girl's wrist. It was glowing. 'That must be where the akuma is' Ladybug thought. The ground stopped shaking and they fell through. Unfortunately, the dirt covered Ladybug's yo-yo as well. Now, hip deep in dirt, a butterfly outline covered the girls face and she smiled.

"Now..." She said, reaching for Ladybug's earrings. "NO!...Lucky Charm!" Ladybug yelled, catching the object "A jump rope? What am I supposed to do with this?" Ladybug asked herself. She looked around for anything else that might be useful. She got it. Keeping one end in her hand, she swung the rope to the girl's foot. Just like she had expected, the rope wrapped around the little girls ankle, then, Ladybug yanked her down. Swerving to the side, Ladybug broke the dirt from around her. Guess it was just her luck. Ladybug jumped up, out and away from the danger. Using her yo-yo, she broke Chat Noir out and the two took defensive stances. "The akuma must be in her bracelet." Ladybug said. "Got it." Chat said, running up to the girl. "Cataclysm!"

Chat swiped the ground beneath the girl and she fell just like they had. Ladybug grabbed the accessory and snapped it, watching the black butterfly flutter out.

"No more evil-doing for little akuma."

"Time to De-evilize!"

"Gotcha"

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Pound it"

"What happened?" The little girl asked. "That's not important right now." Ladybug started, comforting the girl. "Mommy?" She asked, looking around. Ladybug sighed, how was she going to explain this to a child? Chat Noir could see that Ladybug was struggling to find the right words, so he decided to intervene. "Your Mommy is going on a trip, and she won't be back for a while." Using the same words his Aunt had used when his mom had been reported missing, Chat gave the girl a comforting smile. "In the meantime, why don't you go find your Daddy and help him start to find a new home." Chat finished. "Okay." The girl said, frowning. She walked off and Ladybug looked up at her partner. 'When did he become so sentimental?' "What was that?" Ladybug asked. "I just know how to deal with this kind of stuff." Chat said as a beeping sound emitted from his ring. "Tomorrow, M'lady?" Chat asked, running off, leaving a very confused and curious Ladybug behind.

He de-transformed and crawled into his room through the window. "Dinner is ready" Nathalie's voice said through the door. "Coming" Adrien said, opening the door. Once again, he ate dinner at the long, empty dining table. No one but him. He climbed up the stairs and into his bedroom. He lifted his hand to stare at his ring and wondered if Ladybug was still transformed. He decided that he wouldn't call her right now, he'd wait until tomorrow, which was a Saturday. Thank goodness.

Saturday's were one of his less crazy days. Less photo shoots, and sometimes no akumas.

* * *

Adrien woke up to Nathalie opening his door. "Breakfast" She said, closing the door. "Good morning to you too" Adrien huffed. He rushed down the stairs and quickly ate his breakfast. He was eager to get to Ladybug.

Once he was finished, he rushed to his room, where Plagg was busy finishing his cheese. "Plagg, claws out!" As soon as he transformed, he hopped out through the window and smiled. He loved being Chat Noir. He could be the person he always wanted to be. Funny, witty, and a bit ruthless. Chat Noir had no care in the world. Which is why Adrien loved being him. Ever since his mom disappeared, his father was becoming more and more distant. The only people that talked to him at home was Plagg, who only talked about cheese, and Nathalie, who only talked when necessary.

Adrien was starving for attention, and it was starting to leak through with Chat Noir. Adrien had tried to act normal, he tried to act like he wasn't internally begging for human contact. For a conversation that had nothing to do with photo shoots. School had helped a little, but since he had been home schooled, he knew a little more than all the other students, which meant the teachers wouldn't call on him as much.

Nino had provided some helpful conversations, and showed him true friendship. Heck, Nino was akumatized just because his father wouldn't give him a birthday party. But that wasn't really what he was looking for. He longed for someone who would see past his famous image. His famous name. His famous father. He wished for someone who would help him talk. Nino was his friend, not because he was famous and rich, but because he was a good person. Nino had stepped into the empty hole in his heart and filled it with friendship. And Adrien could never re-pay Nino for that.

But it just wasn't right. He wanted his _father_ to be happy, to talk, not ignore and hide behind his assistant. He would go to all the photo shoots and do whatever pleased his father. He would listen and not complain, just because he wanted to see his father smile. He wanted to be able to come home from school and talk about his day with his father. He wanted to be able to help his father cook dinner instead of making the chief cook every meal. He wanted to be able to give the camera a real smile at photo shoots, and not one he plastered on every day.

Lost in thought, he ended up almost walking off the edge of the Louvre. A tug from his belt-like tail broke him out of his thought. "Are you _trying_ to hurt yourself?" Ladybug asked. "Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought." Chat said. "Speaking of which, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday and I have some questions." Ladybug said, stepping closer to her partner, just in case he tried to bail again. "Well, it doesn't look like there will be any akumas today..." Chat said, backing away. The last thing he wanted to do was spill every haunting feeling he had to his love and partner.

"Chat." Ladybug said, grabbing his arm before he had the chance to get away. "Can't let me go?" Chat said, smiling. "Chat, please. What did you mean yesterday during the akuma attack?" Ladybug asked, letting go of her partner's arm. "It's nothing you want to be bothered with." Chat said. "You're my partner, I want to know what you meant." Ladybug said, getting fed up.

Why was he _so_ stubborn?

"You know, I don't even remember what I said. So-" Chat started before Ladybug interrupted him. "You said that you knew how to deal with that kind of stuff. What did you mean? Chat. Please, you can tell me anything and you know that." Ladybug said. "It's complicated." Chat said. "I can figure it out." Ladybug argued. "It'll take too long." Chat said. "I've got time" Ladybug countered. Chat sighed.

Why was she _so_ stubborn?

"It's...my father." Chat said, shrugging. "What about him?" Ladybug asked. "He doesn't really seem to be human." Chat said, raising his eyebrows. Ladybug smiled. "He doesn't really pay much attention to me. And when he does, it's usually to tell me what I'm doing wrong." Chat said, sitting down. "Well, what about your Mom? Doesn't she pay attention?" Ladybug asked, sitting next to the boy. Chat chuckled. How could one person be so innocent? "My. My Mom disappeared when I was little." Chat said, staring at his feet.

"Oh. Well. What about your siblings. Brothers or sisters?" Ladybug asked. "I don't have any." Chat answered simply. "Wait. So you're telling me that you don't have a mom, your dad doesn't acknowledge you, and you have no brothers or sisters?" Ladybug asked. "Yep. The dinner table is really empty." Chat joked, snickering at himself. "You must have someone." Ladybug said, staring at her partner. "Well, I have Natha-" Chat started before he stopped himself. No names! Man. Talking to Ladybug was so easy. He almost started to talk about the assistant of the house, Nathalie.

"Well?" Ladybug asked. "Nobody." Chat concluded. "What about...what about your kwami. Surly you have one. Right?" Ladybug asked. To be honest, she wasn't sure if he had one. Clearly, his magic was the same as hers, but just because she had a kwami, didn't mean that Chat Noir had one. "Yeah, but he's kind of a pig. All he ever talks about is cheese." Chat said with a disgusted look glued to his face. Ladybug had to stifle a laugh at the sight of his face. "I'm guessing cheese isn't really your thing?" Ladybug asked. "I prefer sweet things" Chat said, smiling and looking in Ladybug's direction. Ladybug rolled her eyes at his attempt to flirt. "Well then, tell me about your dad." Ladybug demanded. "He's very strict, and only likes things to be perfect." Chat started. "I try to do what he wants, but it's kind of hard when all he wants is perfection." Chat said.

"Does he have a job?" Ladybug asked. Oh man. If only Ladybug knew. "Yeah, he has a job. It's a real important one, too. Which is why he doesn't pay a lot of attention to me. I'm his puppet." Chat said, more to himself than to Ladybug. Ladybug didn't know what to do. Her partner and friend was sad and lonely, and all she could to was pat him on the head and say 'There, there'

"But please, don't feel bad for me. This kitty doesn't need pity" Chat said, smiling at his rhyme.

She was so busy on focusing on how to help Chat, that she didn't notice him sneak away from her. When she turned her head to look at him, he was gone. And she couldn't have felt more guilty.


	2. First Talk, Then Nap

**WARNING: MAJOR FLUFF!**

Adrien walked into the large house, and immediately regretted it. The first thing he saw was his father. Yelling. He didn't look normal. His father looked like he had been through the ringer. And there was glass, broken glass littering the floor. Stepping around it, Adrien made it to the stairs and waited for his father to see him. "I want to triple the photo shoots and double the cost of the clothing, and I don't care if you can't work with that schedule, I'll find someone that can!" his father yelled into the phone. Adrien was speechless. Triple the photo shoots? What about school? What about Ladybug?

All of the sudden, everything clicked. By the looks of it, his father had been drinking. It sounded like sales were falling and the more clothes that weren't bought, the harder the Agreste family was hit. His father was ever so slowly loosing his job, and he had been drinking because of it. Adrien didn't like this. He had heard stories about kids parents getting drunk, and it never ended well for anyone. Slipping by, un-noticed, Adrien climbed up the stairs and into his room, closing and locking his door. He raked his hand through his hair in discomfort. What was happening?

He looked at the clock on his wall and noticed that it was almost 6:30. Dinner. For once, Adrien was glad that his father never joined him for dinner. After waiting a few minutes, carefully listening until it sounded like his father had left, Adrien slid open his door and quickly hopped down the steps towards the dinning room. Expecting to see a plate full of food on the table waiting for him, he found a note instead. Picking it up, he read it. Then read it again to make sure he wasn't reading it wrong.

 _Adrien,_

 _Due to your father's downfall, I cannot make you meals from now on.  
Gabriel has restricted much food from the kitchen, claiming that he wants you to look skinny for the next photo shoot._

 _Sincerely,  
Chef Alain_

Adrien looked down at himself. Instead of seeing himself as fat, like most kids. He saw himself as skinny as a stick. Really? His father wanted him to be more skinny than he already was? He took the note and rushed back to his room. Adrien finally realized the seriousness of the situation. He was being rejected food and water. Stomach rumbling, Adrien sighed. If this was how it was going to be from now on, he'd better get used to the empty feeling in his stomach.

Now knowing he wouldn't be eating at all for the rest of the day, Adrien decided to transform. As long as he could keep being Chat Noir, he was happy. Leaping out of the window, he headed to the unknown. Blindly jumping each building, after a few minutes, he ended up on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Surly Ladybug wasn't transformed. If she had a better family than he did, she would probably be having dinner by now. Chat didn't know what to do, his stomach wouldn't stop complaining and he was starting to get a little cold.

For the first time ever, he was finding no comfort in being Chat Noir, so he headed back to his home to maybe try and get some sleep. Once back in his room, he started to feel colder than when he was outside. He was starting to shiver it was so cold, so he headed outside once more, which surprisingly was warmer than his room. Realization hit him like a brick. He was being rejected heat. He had remembered seeing something about 'Sleeping in a cold room will help with belly fat' Still shivering, he sighed. If this was how it was going to be from now on, he'd better get used to the chilly feeling on his body. De-transforming, he slowly crawled into his bed and gave out a shaky sigh. Only now did he realize how tired he actually was, and soon, he was falling into a deep, restless sleep.

* * *

Adrien awoke with a chill running down his spine. Tearing the blankets off, he remembered the events from the other day. Sighing, then gasping. He could see his own breath. This was getting out of hand. Barely any food, no water and definitely no heat. He was being denied the three most important things a kid needed. Not to mention that he definitely wasn't getting any love or attention from his father. Not knowing what else to do, he decided to transform and maybe try to find Ladybug.

He needed to talk to someone other than Plagg.

Jumping onto the nearest building, he would run for as long as it took to warm up again. He swore his fingers were about to fall off. After a few minutes of running, he saw Ladybug land on one of the buildings in front of him. He smiled. Time to charm his lady. As he was jumping in her direction, he wasn't quite sure if he would be able to keep his charm up while he was battling the need for a fireplace. 'Ladybug's comfort first, mine second' Chat thought, landing next to his lady.

"Good morning, M'lady" Chat said, smiling and taking her hand. "Cha-" Ladybug started to scold before stopping. "Chat?" She asked. "Yes?" 'Oh, please don't ask why my hand is so cold'. "Why is your hand so cold?" She asked. 'Darn it' "Um, I guess you could say you take the life out of me" Chat said, trying to hide the fact that it wasn't just his hand that was cold. His entire body was slightly shivering. He couldn't shake it off either. He remembered his room being cold when he went to bed, but not cold enough to see your own breath. He wondered how long his room had been that cold for. Considering the fact that he wasn't already a human popsicle, probably not for too long. He was so focused on how long his room had been cold, he didn't notice Ladybug slipping her hand out of his and raising it toward his cheek.

The sudden touch startled him, and he almost swatted her hand away, before he realized whose hand it was. "Chat" Ladybug said again. "You're freezing." Ladybug whispered. "Are you sick?" She asked, concern marking her voice. "I wish. Let's just say I'm being Ice-solated" Chat said, smiling at himself. "What does that mean?" Ladybug asked, starting to get a little nervous. "Aw. Are you worried about little old me." Chat said, trying to stall as much time as possible. "Chat." Ladybug said flatly.

Chat sighed, how could he say this without spilling too much? "Besides my Mom, I think you're the first person to actually care about me." Chat said. "Take that back" Ladybug said, raising her voice. "Take what back?" Chat asked. What's wrong. He was just telling her the truth.

"Tons of people care about you" Ladybug said, lowering the volume of her voice. "Not really." Chat started. Talking a bit faster. "Anybody that says life is perfect is selling something, because it's not" Chat said, talking twice as fast now. "Really only one person truly loved me and now she's gone because of me and now my father is falling behind in his work and he won't even look at me anymore, probably because I remind him of Mom and now he want's me to triple the amount I work and now he won't even give me any food or water or heat or-" Chat stopped talking, realizing that he had just said exactly what he didn't want to say. No one said anything. In a split second, Chat jumped off the building and ran as far away as possible. Why did he love being Chat Noir so much, when every time he was Chat, something bad would happen. Guess it was just his luck.

Ladybug processed what she had just heard. He thinks his Mom his dead-no, that wasn't right. He had said his Mom had disappeared, not died. He thinks his Mom disappeared because of him, and now he has to work triple the amount he use to and his father wasn't giving him any food, water or heat...As much as she didn't want to admit it. Chat Noir, her partner and friend was being neglected. That explains why he was so cold, and why he looked sleep deprived. And by the amount of times he had said 'And now' she guessed these events had happened just recently. Ladybug was determined to find out more about this problem her partner had. Sometimes she would forget there was a human just like her under that mask. To start with, she would first bring him some food and water, now knowing he wasn't getting any. Good thing she lived in a bakery.

* * *

De-transforming, she dropped down through the trap door in her roof to her bedroom. Marinette quickly hopped down the steps towards her parents bakery. "Hey, do we have any bread left over?" Marinette asked. "Yes, I think we have a loaf left from sales this morning. Why?" Sabine asked. "Oh. Um, one of my friends can't have breakfast at their house, and they can't buy school food, so I told them I would bring them some breakfast." Marinette said. It wasn't a complete lie, but it also wasn't the complete truth. "How sweet of you. Yes, I'm pretty sure there's some still in the kitchen." Sabine said, starting to count the money they had earned that day. Marinette followed her mother's directions and strolled into the kitchen. After a few minutes of searching around, she finally found the bread her mom had been talking about. Stuffing it into her bag, she also took some cookies and a water bottle.

Finding safety in her room she transformed just to see if Chat Noir was transformed or not. "Tikki, spots on!" She yelled. She took her yo-yo out and watched as it rang. After a few rings, she came to the conclusion that her partner was not in costume. She would have to give him the stuff tomorrow on patrol. De-transforming, she gave Tikki a few of the cookies she had taken from the kitchen, and got ready for bed. She had an eventful day tomorrow.

* * *

Transforming and grabbing the bag of food, Marinette jumped out of her room and onto the roof. Using her yo-yo to lift herself, she swung to the designated destination where the duo always started patrols. The Eiffel Tower. Thinking about what she would say, she set the bag down and looked out on the city of Paris. It truly was a beautiful city. Noticing a black blur pass her vision, she grabbed the bag from the ground and smiled. "Good afternoon, M'lady" Chat said, smiling. Ladybug could've sworn she'd heard his voice crack. "Good afternoon, Chat" Ladybug said, thinking of how she would say her words. Her thoughts were interrupted by a growling noise. Chat quickly grabbed his stomach and closed his eyes. As soon as the growling started, it stopped. "Chat. When did this start?" Ladybug asked, her grip on the bag tightening. "What's in the bag?" Chat asked, trying to distract Ladybug. "When. Did. This. Start?" Ladybug asked again, pulling the bag behind her back. "About 3 days ago." Chat said, his shoulders slumping and smile melting off, turning into a frown.

Ladybug was shocked. 3 days without food. He had obviously found water, because she guessed you couldn't really go 3 days without water. But you can definitely go 3 days without food. "I-I got you something." Ladybug said, holding the bag out. "Is it your undying love for me?" Chat smiled, taking the bag. "Guess again" Ladybug said as Chat opened the bag. Chat frowned when he saw what was inside of it. "No" he said, simply. "What?" Ladybug asked, not clear on what he had just said. "No, I'm not going to take this" Chat said, handing the bag back to Ladybug. "What do you mean you're 'not going to take it'?" Ladybug asked. "I'm not going to take that. It's yours and I don't want it" Chat said. "What!?" Ladybug was at a loss for words. The stupid cat was starving and he wouldn't take food even when it was given to him.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'Those who are unselfish often have the least'?" Chat asked. Ladybug thought about this for a second. It was true. Chat didn't talk about having to go to a family dinner or reunion or even just to check up on his family, so he might as well have the least, and even so, he was still selfless. Always jumping in front of the danger, saving Ladybug from it. And never caring if it seemed like Ladybug used him as bait. And Ladybug knew that that selflessness and brave courage still stuck with Chat's civilian form, even if she didn't know who that might be. "Fine, but you _have_ to take the water bottle." Ladybug said, opening the bag again. Chat rolled his eyes and smiled, taking the bottle out from the bag. "Happy?" Chat said, opening the bottle. "Not entirely, but yes." Ladybug said.

She watched as Chat brought the lid to his lips and started to drink. Chat didn't realize how thirsty he actually was until the water hit his tongue. He started to drink, slowly. Then started to greedily gulp the water until there was nothing left. Chat looked at the empty water bottle, then up at Ladybug, who had an 'I told you so' look on her face. "Okay...maybe I needed that, but I'm still not taking your food." Chat said, throwing the water bottle down. Ladybug watched as her partner threw the water bottle off the tower. Did he just litter? Ladybug watched as the bottle fell, being picked up by the wind a couple of times. She was amazed to see it fall into a trash can a few yards away from the tower.

"How did you do that?" Ladybug asked, truly astonished. "Fencing comes with great accuracy" Chat shrugged, not even realizing what he had said. 'Chat fences? Well, I guess that would explain why he is so good with his staff.' Ladybug thought, remembering back to the day they had to fight Dark Blade. Both Chat and Dark Blade had shown off excellent sword fighting skills that day. "You fence?" Ladybug asked. Obviously he did, but she just wanted to make conversation. "Yeah. But I don't think I'll be doing any more of it." Chat said, sitting down. His feet hanging off the edge of the tower.

"As long as my father keeps up his act, I don't even think I'll be able to go to school." Chat said, looking down at his feet. "And that's a bad thing?" Ladybug asked with a bit of sarcasm. "Well, to most kids it would be a dream come true. But I was home schooled for most of my life, so public school is really a break from reality for me." Chat explained. 'Adrien's also been home schooled, and he takes fencing lessons.' But that has to be a coincidence, right?

"Doesn't your dad care?" Ladybug asked. "My dad is kind of..." Chat paused, trying to find the right words to explain his dads situation. "Out of it...right now." Chat finished. Praying that Ladybug wouldn't ask follow up questions, but being a black cat had it's disadvantages. "What do you mean 'out of it'?" Ladybug asked, almost afraid to hear Chat's answer. "I don't want to talk about it" Chat said, sternly. Ladybug sat down next to her partner and swung her legs over the edge.

Chat Noir proceeded to bring his legs up off the ledge and lift them up against his chest, hiding most of his face. It was easy to tell whatever was bothering her chaton was something that she shouldn't push. So she let her partner have some much needed silence. After a few minutes of almost awkward silence, Ladybug spoke. She put her hand out, reaching towards her partner's hidden head.

"Well, I'm not going to push you to tell me...but I do want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything. And I do mean anything" Ladybug said, scratching Chat's head behind his-what she believed to be-fake cat ear. Without even realizing it, Chat pushed his head up to lean further into the pleasurable touch. Ladybug slightly giggled at the subtle movement. Without warning, she heard a soft vibration emitting from her partner. "Are you purring?" Ladybug asked, using every ounce in her body to keep from laughing out loud.

"Mmm. I can't help it." Chat whined, smiling. Ladybug decided that she could stay here with Chat, just to make sure he wasn't alone. She kept petting him, to the point were Chat withdrew his head from in between his knees and leaned into Ladybug's touch even more. His purring got a bit louder, and Ladybug couldn't stifle a laugh. "Your laugh is music to my ears" Chat said, closing his eyes. Ladybug only shook her head in response, not really knowing how to respond.

Chat started to lean in again, and his hand ended up slipping, his head landing in Ladybug's lap. Besides shock from the sudden movement, neither Chat Noir nor Ladybug seemed to mind. She just kept scratching behind Chat's ear. Ladybugs main concern right now was to make her partner comfortable and happy, because from what she had gathered, he wasn't either of them at his own home. After a while, Chat's purring turned into a light hum. Ladybug looked down and smiled. Under all of his ego and lame cat puns, there was a genuine, sweet and caring boy. Ladybug then looked towards the city and started to think. If she was even thinking about helping him, identities would be a problem. How was she going to protect her kitty without knowing who he really was under the mask? Sure, they could try to be oblivious, but even just the short talk they had had earlier revealed a lot about her other half.

She now knew that Chat was home schooled for most of his childhood, he takes fencing classes, he likes sweet things, he hates cheese, he didn't have any siblings, he didn't think anyone cared about him, he lost his mom when he was young, and his dad seems to be as mean as Hawkmoth. Even small details like that could, if Ladybug really tried to, reveal Chat Noir's identity.

Sighing, and feeling defeated, Ladybug looked back down at the boy in her lap to see that he had fallen asleep. She smiled as she stared at his peaceful, yet unsettled face. Ladybug brushed some of his shaggy, blonde bangs out of his face. When he wasn't hitting on her every other second, he was sweet. She would be lying if she said that she didn't think he was cute, especially in this state. But her heart belonged to another. She had to remember that. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud rumbling noise.

Unconsciously, Chat's hands slowly made their way to his abdomen and he curled up a bit more, as if trying to protect himself from the pain of starvation. Ladybug frowned. He had refused the food she wanted to give to him. All that did was show her how unbelievably stubborn he was, but it also showed her how big his heart was. Even when he needed it most, he still wanted 'his lady' to have everything she needed. He was there for her, to comfort her, protect her and make her better. So she was going to do the same for him. Ladybug shifted, trying to make Chat as comfortable as possible, but only succeed in waking him up.

"Are you uncomfortable, m'lady?" Chat asked tiredly, noticing Ladybug shifting from under him. "No, I'm fine." Ladybug said. Chat started to lift his head up, afraid that he was making Ladybug uncomfortable. "I should...probably get back home anyway." Chat said, sitting up. "My father would kill me if I wasn't home by 3. No lie." Chat said, chuckling sadly. "Chat, you can stay a bit longer if you want. I'm in no rush." Ladybug said, stopping Chat from walking away. "I guess I could spare a few more minutes." Chat said, glancing at his staff that also had a clock in it, so he sat back down. It was almost 2:40. "Chat." Ladybug started. "Yes?" Chat answered. "Your father. He's not...hurting you. Is he?" Ladybug asked, seriously. "Oh, no! He's actually giving me the opposite of attention." Chat said. "Why?" Ladybug asked, trying to ease the answer out of her partner. Chat shrugged. "Chat. Please. Tell me. I want to help" Ladybug coaxed. "I don't think anyone can help at this point." Chat said, frowning. "Then just tell me what happened." Ladybug said. Chat sighed, might as well.

"A few days ago I was walking home from our talk earlier and I came home to my father yelling to one of his workers on the phone. I noticed broken glass on the floor and so I went to my bedroom and locked the door." Chat started. "At around 6:30 I headed back down stairs for dinner and when I got there, there was a note on the table and it said that my father took away most of the food from our kitchen and band our chief from making any more meals for me. So I headed back to my room and discovered that my father also cut the heat from my room." Chat finished, deciding to leave out the part when he transformed again. "Why is he doing this? Do you know?" Ladybug asked.

"No" Chat lied. Of course he knew why his father was doing this. But what was he supposed to tell Ladybug? _'Yes, I do know why my father isn't letting me eat. It's because he wants me to be skinny for my next photo shoot because my job is modeling. Did I mention I'm really Adrien Agreste.'_ Yeah right. "But I do know that if I'm not home by 3, I'm dead meat" Chat said, stealing a look at the time. It was 2:43. Chat stood up and started to head back to his house. "Chat-" Ladybug said, stopping Chat from leaving. "Just promise me one thing." Ladybug said. "Come back tomorrow" Ladybug requested. "For you M'lady, anything" Chat promised, smiling before jumping off the building. Ladybug watched as her partner disappeared from her line of sight. She supposed she should head home too. Seeing as there wouldn't be any akumas today.


	3. Physical Pain

Of course he wasn't going back to that death trap, he would just de-transform and maybe head to Marinette's house, her parents were always so kind to him. Settling for that idea, he de-transformed and headed towards the bakery. As he walked, Adrien could've sworn he felt more hungry and more weak outside of his costume. Magic. It was weird. Finally, he stood at the door of the bakery. Just standing there, he could smell the sweet smell of bread and vanilla. Smiling, Adrien opened the door and listened as the bell on the door let the family know someone had come to taste their treats. "I'll be right with you. Feel free to look around" A sweet voice came. As Adrien recalled, she liked to be called Sabine.

When the kind woman looked up and her eyes met Adriens', and she smiled. "Adrien. Oh, hold on, let me go get Marinette." She said, holding a finger up. "Feel free to try anything that looks good." She said, climbing up the stairs. How could one woman be so sweet. Adrien smiled, but didn't want to be rude, even if Sabine had said he could. He didn't want to take anything without direct permission first. After a few minutes, Sabine came down with a slightly red faced Marinette. "H-hi Adrien." Marinette said, waving a small hand. "Hey Marinette." Adrien answered. "What-what are you d-doing here?" She asked. Adrien asked that question in his own mind. Did she not want him here? "I was just...walking around and I decided that maybe I could get something sweet for the road." Adrien lied. It bothered him how easily the lie rolled off his tongue.

"Oh, well we have enough sweets to go around" Sabine said, gesturing to their store. It was at that moment that Adrien's stomach chose that it wanted to be noticed. Clenching his stomach, Adrien tried to make it seem much less worse than it actually was. "Sorry. I ah, haven't eaten in a while." Adrien said. "Oh, well then let's get you some food." Sabine said, heading towards their kitchen. "S-so, why were you out? I-it's k-kind of late, d-don't you think?" Marinette asked. "Yeah, I guess. I just had to get away for a while, ya know?" Adrien answered. "Yeah. I-I guess." Marinette said, rubbing her arms uncomfortably. 'How long did it take to get food?' Adrien thought.

At that moment, Sabine walked in, her arms full of delicious looking food. She set it down on the counter to let the two teens look at what she had gathered. Adrien looked at all of it in awe, he'd never seen so much food in one place before. There was everything from bread to cakes, from tarts to custard. It all looked _so_ good. Adrien settled with buying two pieces of bread a pieces of cheese for plagg, and a cherry tart. "Oh! I almost forgot." Sabine said, rushing into the kitchen once more. She came out with a plate full of mini-looking cookies. "These are a new recipe we're thinking of selling, and it would be great to have two taste testers" Sabine smiled.

Marinette took a cookie off the plate almost immediately, but Adrien was hesitant. His stomach was really starting to hurt, but he didn't want to intrude too much. "Go on, honey. Don't worry. These cookies don't bite back." Sabine joked. Adrien smiled and took a cookie off the plate and popped it into his mouth. Wow. Was this even food that came from planet earth? "Wow, Mom. These are really good, you should definitely sell these!" Marinette said, smiling and hugging her mom. "Adrien, what do you think?" Sabine asked. "Marinette took the words right out of my mouth." Adrien said, smiling. Marinette's face turned a light shade of pink, did he say something wrong?

"Well, I think you better head home Adrien. Your father must be worried sick." Sabine said, opening the door for Adrien. "Or just sick" Adrien whispered under his breath. "Thank you" Adrien said, walking out of the building. Once the door closed, Adrien took out the cheese and gave it to his dramatic kwami. Then he, himself took out the cherry tart and ate it in record time. Next he took out the bread, eating it slower this time, and saving some of it for later. "Guess there's no where else to go to" Adrien said to himself.

* * *

Adrien opened the big door, trying not to make a sound. But waiting for him was Nathalie and his father. "Adrien, where have you been?" Nathalie asked, sounding stressed. "I was just out taking a walk." Adrien answered. "Are you aware that it is 3:07?" Nathalie asked. "I'm sorry for being late." Adrien said, putting his head down. Nathalie left the room with a dissapointed look on her face. Adrien watched her leave, not truly feeling bad about being late. That's when he felt a rough hand on his arm, dragging him into his father's office. The hand let go and dropped Adrien to the floor.

"7 minutes late!" His father yelled. His father's face was only a few feet away from Adrien's, and Adrien could smell the alcohol on his father's breath. "I'm sorry, father. Next time I will be more punctual" Adrien promised. "Don't lie to me boy" Gabriel said, grabbing Adrien's head and slamming it on the desk behind them. Not hard enough to draw blood, or leave a concussion, but strong enough to hurt. "Father, please." Adrien said, trying to reason with the man holding his head to the table.

"You've failed me one too many times today boy!" Gabriel yelled. He took Adrien's hands and yanked them behind the body they belonged to. "Father...you're hurting me" Adrien said, struggling to get out of his father's grasp. "I will not tolerate misbehavior." Gabriel said, grabbing a pair of fabric scissors off of his desk. "You will not disobey me again. Do I make myself clear!?" Gabriel asked, pulling Adrien's arms tighter. "Yes." Adrien said. "I said, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" Gabriel yelled, throwing the scissors in Adrien's direction. Holding his cheek, Adrien spoke with a shaky voice. "Yes, sir." Adrien said, maneuvering around his angry father, Adrien ran to his room and locked the door.

Adrien walked to his unnecessarily large bathroom and looked in the mirror. The scissors had scratched his cheek bone. There was a cut, not too deep, but deep enough to notice. It ran from under his eye to about the middle of his cheek. Nothing a little makeup couldn't fix. Adrien sighed, then walked back to his room. "Adrien, are you okay?" Plagg asked. "Yeah I-I'm fine" Adrien said. "Good, because if you weren't fine, then who would get my cheese for me?" Plagg said, hiding the fact that he was genuinely worried. "Thanks, that makes me feel so appreciated." Adrien rolled his eyes. Some things never change.

* * *

Adrien woke up early, wanting to avoid his father as much as possible. Once transformed, he headed towards the Eiffel Tower to meet his lady. Now, if this were a movie, the camera angle would back up, revealing an unused container of concealer. Showing that Adrien had forgotten to cover up his cut. Really, it was so early in the morning, anyone could've forgotten. But with Ladybug being the interrogator she was, that was Adrien's one fatal mistake.

In fact, it was so early, that Chat didn't even think Ladybug was up yet. So he sat up top on the tower and tried to warm up his arms. His room had been slightly warmer this time, but not by much. Considering that Ladybug was around his age, she shouldn't be up for at least an hour. So Chat decided to process what had happened the night before. His father obviously didn't know what he was doing. His father wouldn't do that on his own, would he?

Chat thought about what his father had said. "You've failed me one too many times today" Chat repeated. "Maybe that was just the alcohol talking, hopefully." Chat said to himself. Adrien had this bad habit of talking to himself, living alone in your room for you're whole life does that to a person. But since Adrien was Chat, that meant Chat talked to himself. "I get the yelling, and I get the physical communication. But scissors?" Chat asked himself. "He could've really hurt me, but he didn't know what he was doing." Chat reassured himself. "How come Nathalie didn't hear us?" Chat asked. "Maybe she heard but didn't do anything?" Chat said. He was starting to feel like he was going crazy, but he really didn't care.

"Where did he even get the alcohol? Who would be stupid enough to give a top notch, filthy rich...oh" Chat said. "Of course he used his money and fame to get what he wanted, of course he doesn't care what it does to people, he's always been so stupid and stubborn and always puts his ego before anything else" Chat argued with himself. "Are you talking about yourself or someone else?" A voice came, it sounded like it was coming from above him. Chat looked up to see his favorite superhero in red. "Very funny" Chat said, rolling his eyes. Ladybug jumped down to meet her partner at his level.

"So do you always talk to yourself when you're alone or..." Ladybug started. "Sorry, M'lady. I'm just thinking out loud." Chat said, still in his own world. "And that's normal?" Ladybug asked, slightly snickering at herself. "Ha. Ha" Chat mocked. "So why are you out here so early?" Ladybug asked. "I ah, couldn't sleep, so I came out here early." Chat said. It was partly the truth. His room had been too cold to sleep comfortably, but partly because he slept on his side, and the side that he slept on was the same side that had been cut that day, and the pillow kept brushing it and a stinging sensation would run through the side his face.

"Who were you talking about? You mentioned something about someone not caring..." Ladybug said, quoting Chat. "Oh, that was nothing. I was talking about my...cousin. He doesn't care what anybody thinks and it can get annoying." Chat lied. "Chat. I know what you look like when you lie, I'm your partner. Please. Why won't you tell me these things?" Ladybug asked, moving closer. "Do you not trust me?" Ladybug asked, a hint of hurt in her voice. Trust. That seemed to be the cause of all this. His father didn't trust him enough to do his job, so he tripled his work. His father didn't trust him enough to be out longer than a few hours.

And he didn't trust his father. Not anymore at least. He didn't trust his father with anything anymore. He didn't trust his father to be kind and caring, he didn't trust his father to not yell. His trust for his father was gone. He had lost his father. He wasn't going to loose Ladybug too. "No. I trust you. My father and I. We got into a. Fight. Last night." Chat explained. "What do you mean?" Ladybug asked. "Nothing serious, he just yelled a lot." Chat said. Silence followed. All of the sudden, Chat felt tight arms wrap around him, but they weren't dangerous arms like his fathers. These were caring arms, arms that held him and took away all of the pain, if only for a few seconds.

Chat stood still for a while, processing what was happening. Then, he hugged back. Never wanting to leave the sweet and caring body that felt for him. Ladybug looked to the side, her vision was met with Chat's messy, blonde hair. She smiled, trying to ignore how cold he was. He needed a family that cared for him, he needed a warm bed to sleep in and food on the table. He needed a home. It was at that moment that Ladybug noticed a scratch on her partner's face. It was tiny, but when they pulled away from each other, the cut got larger.

Thanks to the mask, basically half of the cut was covered, but that didn't stop anyone from noticing it. "Chat, where did you get this?" Ladybug asked, raising her hand to Chats face. Chat backed up, could he really cause his lady so much worry with just a little scratch? "It's nothing, just a little cat scratch." Chat answered, lowering Ladybug's hand. "Where'd you get it?" Ladybug asked again, more serious this time. "Last night, at my house." Chat answered. "Chat! You told me your father wasn't hurting you!" Ladybug scolded. "He wasn't! I promise! This just started last night." Chat said.

"No heat, no food, no water, and now no protection." Ladybug said, pacing. She was obviously worried. Chat felt guilty for making his lady stressed. "I'm sorry, M'lady" Chat said. "What are you sorry about?" Ladybug asked, pausing her pacing. "I'm sorry for making you stressed and worried. I know that what my father is doing is wrong, but I just feel bad about involving you in-" Chat started before Ladybug interrupted. "Don't feel bad, Chat. It's just-I can't stand the thought of you going through this alone." Ladybug said, bringing her hand to her head.

"But I'm not going through it alone." Chat said, grabbing Ladybug's hand. "I have you." Chat said, smiling and squeezing Ladybug's hand tighter. Ladybug sighed, "This is going to be hard with secret identities." Ladybug stated. Chat frowned as he realized she was right. "Maybe they don't have to be secret" Chat said. "I would love to know who my Lady really is." Chat said, a smirk climbing onto his face. Ladybug was silent, was she really considering this? "That will be plan B." Ladybug decided. "Then what's plan A?" Chat asked. "Plan A will require you to be honest with me." Ladybug said, dead-pan. "Do you have anyone else in your house besides your father or your kwami?" Ladybug asked. "Yes." Chat said, being oblivious to names.

"Good. You need to tell them what's been going on and have them help you fix all this." Ladybug said. "But...I don't think she cares. Her job is just to serve my father and do as she is told. She doesn't really listen to me. Her loyalty is with my father's wallet" Chat said. "Then make her listen." Ladybug said. "I'll try" Chat said, sighing. Ladybug thought for a second. "Hey, if she really doesn't listen, come to me. I'll be transformed for a while." Ladybug offered. "Thanks" Chat said, heading towards the Agreste Manson.

* * *

"Nathalie, please" Adrien begged. "I'm sorry Adrien, but my home, clothes and food comes from the money your father pays me. And he pays me to follow his orders to a tee." Nathalie said. "But he's dangerous!" Adrien said, almost not wanting to believe his own words. "I haven't seen or heard any proof of that, Adrien. Now, if you'll excuse me." Nathalie said, walking off to the side. "But, Nathalie. You have to he-" Adrien started before a booming voice followed. "Adrien! That is enough" His father's voice yelled, interrupting Adrien's plea. "That will be all Nathalie." Gabriel said, dismissing Nathalie from the room. Nathalie left without another word. "Adrien" Gabriel said, looking towards his only son.

"Y-yes, father." Adrien stuttered. Why was he nervous? He was one of Paris's superheros. He took on akumas almost everyday. So why was he scared of his own father? "Follow me" Gabriel said, walking away. Adrien was at a loss. Did he follow his father and see what he wanted, and risk getting hurt again. Or did he run away and risk his father following him? Adrien settled on following his father. At least he would be ready this time. "Adrien, do you know why I took the job of a fashion designer?" Gabriel asked. Adrien wasn't expecting a question like this...

"Um, because you have good fashion sense?" Adrien answered. "It is because I knew fashion involved modeling. And modeling is one of the easiest jobs out there. All you have to do is smile and stand. It is also one of the safest. Adrien, I do all of this for you. I want to keep you safe, I can't risk loosing you as well." Gabriel explained. Adrien was speechless. Did his father really only take up this job for him? "Which is why I ask you this." Gabriel started again, turning towards Adrien. "Where do you go everyday?" Gabriel asked.

Adrien couldn't speak. The question came out of nowhere. What was he going to say? He couldn't say he went to Nino's because obviously his father didn't want him hanging out with Nino. He couldn't say Alya or Marinette because his father would call their parents to tell them to not let Adrien go anymore. And he defiantly couldn't say what he was really doing all day, first of all, his father wouldn't believe him, And even if he did, his father would probably ground him for life or something.

"I asked you a question." Gabriel said. "Where do you go everyday, Adrien?" Gabriel asked again, stalking closer to the boy. "I-I just...um. I just go out for walks" Adrien answered, mentally slapping himself for stuttering. "Is that so?" Gabriel asked, standing in front of Adrien. "Yes sir." Adrien said, staring down at his shoes. "But _where_ do you go" Gabriel asked once more, staring down at his son's perfectly blonde hair. "You know...the...Park." Adrien answered. Gabriel was starting to get mad now. He could still taste the beer on his tongue and the world was starting to get fuzzy. Out of anger, he grabbed Adrien by the chin and forced the boy's face closer to his.

"I will ask you one more time, boy. _Where_ do you go? And I want the truth" Gabriel commanded. Adrien could smell the foul sent on his father's breath, but this time, he was ready. "I already told you. The park" Adrien said, keeping his eyes on his father's hands and feet. "Don't lie to me, boy!" Gabriel yelled, bringing his foot up to knee Adrien in the stomach, but he was ready. Twisting his head to the side, releasing himself from his father's grasp. Adrien swerved to the right, his Chat Noir side starting to kick in.

"I will not tolerate lying!" Gabriel yelled, throwing a punch towards the boy. Dodging the hit, Adrien remembered Ladybug's words. He had to get to her. But how would he? If he ran off to transform, his father would just follow him. Maybe he could just run outside into the park as Adrien and hope Ladybug saw him. Yeah, that could work. But would Ladybug make the connection? That was a risk Adrien would just have to take, because his father was starting to throw things at him. Not as dangerous as scissors thank goodness, but things that could hurt if they made contact with his head or neck. Like metal rulers or staplers.

Dodging a bag of paper clips, Adrien headed for the only exit in the house. Throwing the door open, Adrien headed towards the regular meeting place for Ladybug and Chat Noir. The Eiffel Tower wasn't too far from the Agreste Mansion, but it was good enough distance that if Adrien started to slow down, he would definitely be caught. If only he could transform, then the run would feel like nothing. But out of costume, it did take a bit of breath out of his lungs.

After running for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a minute, Adrien looked up to see that the Eiffel Tower was only about 30 seconds away. He looked behind him to see his father a little ways back, but catching up quick. How was he running so fast? Didn't he just sit in a chair and work on papers all day? Adrien looked around to see the park was almost completely empty. Only a few scattered joggers here and there, paying no attention to the running boy, but instead more focused on their music.

Adrien prayed that Ladybug would show up soon, because if not, he was in deep trouble. Adrien ran under the structure of the Eiffel Tower, hoping to be able to hide behind one of the construction beams. Not noticing the spotted super heroine watching the scene from on top of the tower, Gabriel ran as fast as he could. He was going to catch this boy and teach him that lying and disrespect has consequences. The boy in front of him was starting to run out of breath, Gabriel could tell. Gabriel reached his hand out and grabbed the boy's jacket collar, stopping the boy in mid-step. The sudden force caught Adrien off guard and brought him to the ground.

Hitting his head on the gravel, Adrien looked up to see his father's face. His father's eyes were unfocused and deluded. It was like he was there, but he wasn't there. Dodging a hand falling down to hit his face, Adrien rolled to the side to avoid his father's unforgiving hits. Gabriel had had enough, this boy was not going to be still for his lesson, so Gabriel decided that he would make the boy be still. Bringing his foot up into the air, Gabriel brought it down on top of the boy's arm, stopping the boy from getting away from him.

The pain was enough to cause Adrien to close his eyes and let out an audible gasp. Earning a yelp from the young boy under him, Gabriel grabbed the boy's blonde hair and pulled his face upward. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he got a single word out, a string wrapped around his body, trapping and dragging him. Adrien noted the sudden loss of weight on his arm and reached out to grab his hurting arm with his good arm. "You have no right to tou-Gabriel Agreste?!" Ladybug's voice came. Adrien was so tired and out of breath from running, he didn't even want to open his eyes.

"Let go of me. Do you know who I am!?" Gabriel said, using his arms to attempt to release himself. "I'm sorry" Ladybug started, pulling her yo-yo to the side, releasing the famous fashion designer. "I just thought I saw you attacking your son" Ladybug said, noticing Adrien still laying on the ground. "I was teaching him that dishonesty and disrespect has consequences." Gabriel said, facing Ladybug. "Weird way to teach" Ladybug said, under her breath. "Now, if you'll excuse us." Gabriel said, turning toward the boy who Ladybug had said was his son.

Adrien opened his eyes and visibly flinched back when he saw his father heading his way. Ladybug could sense something was wrong with this family portrait and decided to intervene. "Gabriel, what did Adrien do to deserve this 'lesson'?" Ladybug asked, stepping in between Adrien and his father. "He has lied to me and disrespected me, now move out of the way" Gabriel said. "And how do you intend to 'teach' him?" Ladybug questioned, she could tell something was very wrong with Paris's fashion designer.

"I will beat it out of him, now _move!_ " Gabriel said, loosing his temper all over again as he shoved Ladybug to the side. Too drunk to realize what he had been fighting for for two years now was right in front of him and he just pushed it aside. Ladybug _knew_ something was not right, looking toward her secret crush, Ladybug watched as Adrien scooted back, but didn't get far due to his arm. Something was wrong with Gabriel, but it wouldn't take a genius to figure that out. "I don't think so" Ladybug said, throwing her yo-yo towards the obviously drunk Gabriel Agreste.

"Release me _NOW_!" Gabriel yelled, struggling to get out of his new binds. "Go! Get out of here!" Ladybug yelled to the famous fashion model. Adrien followed orders and got up without using his hurt arm too much. Running to the nearest bench, Adrien crouched down to watch the soon to come fight, but stay out of sight. He couldn't let his lady fight his dangerously drunk father alone, he had to get out there and help her. "Adrien, don't even think about it. What about your arm?" Plagg asked, zipping out of his chosen's jacket.

If Plagg had learned anything about his owner over these last two years, it was that Adrien was stubborn. Especially when it came to Ladybug. Adrien was too caught up in love to see that he was hurt, and fighting would only make it worse. "Plagg, Claws Out!" Adrien yelled, holding his ring out.


	4. A Rock & A Hard Place

Once transformed, his arm felt a bit better, but he knew that wouldn't last once his transformation ended. Chat jumped up from behind the bench and ran to his lady's aid. "What's Gabriel Agreste doing here?" Chat asked. Of course he already knew, but for now, he was playing the role of a clueless kitty. "He's drunk or something, he hurt his son, Adrien." Ladybug said, filling her partner in with the latest news. Chat thanked ever star in the sky that Ladybug hadn't made the connection. "So what do we do, we can't exactly attack him" Chat said. Not only because he was a very famous figure in Paris, but because he was still Adrien's father.

"Subdue him, but don't hurt him." Ladybug said, looking around for anything that might help them. "Got it" Chat said, smiling his signature smirk. Chat looked around himself for anything that he could use to trap his father. There was a dome shaped roof on a building not too far from the fight. Bingo. "Cataclysm!" Chat yelled, summoning his dark power. "Hey, Mr. Agreste, have you ever thought of applying for a job with Hawkmoth. I'm sure you two would really hit it off!" Chat yelled. His main goal: Get his father to chase him.

"Why you little-You'll pay for that!" Gabriel said, facing Chat. "Debit or Credit?" Chat said, snickering at his own joke. "Enough!" Gabriel yelled, throwing Ladybug off balance, Gabriel started to grab for Chat. Chat took the hint and started to run towards the building. Yes. Chat swiped the buildings beams, making the roof fall. Gabriel didn't know what hit him. Chat smiled, he had just trapped his own father. "That was a little too easy" Ladybug said as she ran up to Chat Noir's side.

"Let's just finish this" Chat said, frowning. "He doesn't look like he's been akumatized" Ladybug said. "Then what do we do?" Chat asked, truly wondering. "Just make sure he doesn't escape." Ladybug started. "And we have to make sure he stays away from Adri—Adrien! I forgot about him!" Ladybug yelled to herself, looking around frantically. "I-I think I saw him over there" Chat said, pointing to a trashcan in the opposite direction from the bench he had hid behind before.

Ladybug rushed toward where Chat directed her. Once he was out of her sight, Chat raced to the bench and de-transformed. "Adrien!" Ladybug yelled, looking around. "Over here!" Adrien yelled back, hiding Plagg in his jacket. "Adrien, are you okay?" Ladybug asked, concern written all over her face. "Yeah. B-but my arm hurts a little" Adrien said. A little? A little was an understatement. His arm was stinging. It felt like it was freezing and on fire at the same time.

"Let me see" Ladybug said, holding out her hands. Adrien reached his left arm out to Ladybug. Ladybug remembered watching Gabriel stomp on Adrien's arm, for no reason. Ladybug inspected the arm, careful not to injure it even more. It was red and his skin had faint imprints of the bottom of a shoe. His elbow looked swollen, hopefully not broken. Ladybug started to slowly turn the arm over to the front to look at the top of his elbow when she suddenly drew back at hearing Adrien hiss in pain.

"What happened?" Ladybug asked. Of course, she already knew, but right now, she didn't really want Adrien to know that she had been watching him. "My-I was running and I tripped" Adrien lied. He didn't want to stress his lady out even further than she already was. Ladybug frowned. He lied to her. She wouldn't have believed him even if she didn't know what had actually happened, but already knowing made it that much worse. "Well…" Ladybug started, letting go of the models arm. "Make sure you ice it and don't use that arm for a few days." Ladybug instructed.

"And be more careful next time" Ladybug said, smiling. Even if she knew he was lying, he didn't know she knew he was lying. "Thanks" Adrien said, holding his arm and smiling. The two teenagers stared at each other for a few long seconds. Taking in the small details of each other's face.

Her hair was a brilliant black and blue. Every strand was in its place, and her pigtails were never out of order. Her eyes looked like an impossible shade of beautiful blue, always full of wonder and hope and happiness. Her skin was flawless and her cheeks had the perfect amount of pink to them.

His hair was the color of the sun on the perfect afternoon, falling into perfect place every time. His eyes were a piercing green that brought every girl to her knees. Reveling every emotion he's ever had, but also hiding every haunting secret at the same time.

"If you need anything, just let me know" Ladybug said, walking towards their makeshift jail for Gabriel. Adrien had no words, so he just smiled and started backing up, just as Ladybug was doing. After a while, they both went their separate ways. Ladybug started heading towards the dome prison and saw two things that made her heart skip a beat. One. Their make-shift jail was tilted on it's side, meaning Gabriel had gotten out. Two. Chat Noir was gone. Did Chat see Gabriel escape and chase after him? Did Gabriel get free when Chat wasn't looking and kidnap him?!

Ladybug didn't know what to think. But before she could run away to go look, Chat jumped up from behind her. "What happened?" Chat asked, truly wondering. "Gabriel got away while I was talking with Adrien." Ladybug said, happy that her partner was safe. "And now Adrien is gone too!" Ladybug said, starting to freak out. It would be a lie to say Chat felt bad. He felt absolutely terrible for making his lady stressed. He would fix this. "He probably went back to his house" Chat said. "Who? Gabriel or Adrien?" Ladybug asked, turning to face Chat. "Both?" Chat shrugged.

Of course he knew Adrien wasn't there, but his father might be, and if his father was home, then he still had a chance to talk some sense into him. "Let's go then" Ladybug said, throwing her yo-yo in the air. Chat stood there for a moment, mentally preparing himself for anything they might find when they got there. After a few seconds, Chat took out his staff and extended it, lifting him off the ground.

* * *

They arrived at the Agreste mansion just as Gabriel was running in. "Come on. I know a back way in" Chat said, grabbing Ladybug's arm and pulling her away from the front door. The duo jumped down the side of the building and Chat placed a hand on the wall and opened a door that had been camouflaged. "How did you kn-" Ladybug started "I'm good friends with the Agreste family" Chat answered simply. Chat knew Adrien? Maybe he could help her get close to Adrien. Ladybug followed Chat inside the building. Both of them a bit hesitant, but wanting to be brave for the other.

The closer they got to the door, the slower Chat got. The closer they got the faster Ladybug got. Finally, they were next to the door that led to the back of the kitchen. Ladybug lifted her hand to open the door, but another hand stopped her. "Ladybug. I-I can't do this." Chat said, looking down at his feet. "It's okay, Chat. I'll be here with you. I know you're close to the Agreste family, but if we don't do this, it could get worse" Ladybug said, smiling as she slowly opened the door.

Ladybug slowly crept into the building as Chat followed. Ladybug took notice of how cold the house seemed to be as she shivered. Being used to it, Chat didn't notice how cold the room was. "Cold M'lady?" Chat asked, smiling. "Yeah, a little. Why would the house be this cold?" Ladybug asked herself. Ladybug gave a small gasp as she felt Chat's arms wrap around her in an attempt to warm her up. "Chat." Ladybug said, breaking the silence. "Yes?" "Do you know where Adrien would be?" Ladybug asked, gently releasing herself from Chat's grasp. "Um, no" Chat said, a little worried.

"We have to find him, he could be in trou-" A loud noise suddenly interrupted Ladybug. It sounded like glass breaking. The two superheros sprinted to the source of the sound. They arrived to the sight of Gabriel throwing half drunken beer bottles at a wall. But not just any wall. This particular wall held a particular painting. The painting of Adrien's mother. That was the last straw.

Chat Noir shoved Ladybug aside and pulled out his baton. "Gabriel!" Chat yelled. This got his father's attention. Gabriel turned, holding a broken bottle. "Stop this! NOW! Before you do something you'll regret." Chat yelled. Ladybug was almost scared now. She had never seen this side of Chat before, and it was frighting. "What do you know about regret?!" Gabriel yelled, throwing the bottle. Chat ducked as he talked. "I know that you'll regret this when you come back to the real world. You love your wife, and you miss her. You would never do this if you were still in control!" Chat yelled back.

"You don't know anything! I am in control, and I know what I'm doing! I never cared about her! She never cared about me! And we never cared about Adrien! It's all just a big lie!" Gabriel yelled. Chat was speechless. He wanted so bad to know that this was just the alcohol talking, but for some reason, he believed Gabriel. He believed that his father didn't love him. With everything that's been happening, it certainly seemed true. And his mother had disappeared one night, for no reason. Maybe _he_ was the reason she had left.

Chat dropped his baton. Ladybug had had enough, and threw her yo-yo towards the famous fashion designer. "Gabriel Agreste! You have to stop! Please, we can help you!" Ladybug pleaded. "I don't need help!" Gabriel yelled, grabbing Ladybug's yo-yo string and pulling it towards him. Ladybug was thrown off balance and was pulled towards the drunk father. Once Ladybug was close enough, Gabriel reached out to grab Ladybug's earrings.

"NO!" Chat yelled, running towards his father. Chat kicked his father's hand as Ladybug used the distraction to get free. Once Ladybug was out of danger, Chat yelled "Cataclysm!" The power in his hand, Chat turned towards his father and frowned. "What are you gonna do? Kill me? You don't have the guts, _hero_." Gabriel said, smiling. It was as if when Gabriel said the word, it gave no meaning. But he was right about one thing. Chat didn't have the guts to kill his own father, and he wasn't planning to.

Chat then dashed in the other direction, towards Ladybug. He swiped at the pillars on the wall and watched as they fell around Ladybug and made a trap similar to the one he had made for Volpina. "Chat? Chat! What are you doing!? Chat!" Ladybug yelled. Chat didn't answer her, he simply turned to face his father. "It's just you and me now" Chat said, kicking his baton out of the way. Gabriel said nothing, only smiled and walked forwards. "Chat Noir! Stop!" Ladybug yelled, still trying to break though the pillars keeping her captive.

"Gabriel. Stop. You have to stop. Think about what you're doing!" Chat yelled, dodging a thrown beer bottle. "I know what I'm doing!" Gabriel yelled back. "No! You don't! I know you! You love your wife, you love your son and you love your job! You would never do this by choice!" Chat yelled. "But I did! I chose to start this! I chose to want to kill my son! I chose to not care about my wife! And I am choosing to finish you!" Gabriel yelled as he threw a fist at the cat themed hero.

Suddenly, Gabriel stopped. Chat looked as confused as he did hurt. And that's when everything clicked. Even if they were super heroes, they wouldn't spend this much time, heartbreak, blood, sweat and tears on one family. They would want to look at the town as a whole, not individually. As a matter of fact, each individual in the city were all similar, which is why Ladybug and Chat Noir shouldn't worry so much about one family. But not everyone was the same. Adrien was never around when Chat Noir was. And Chat Noir always disappeared when Adrien showed up. During Simone Says, Gabriel had found out that Chat and Adrien had similar rings. On the same hand. On the same finger. Perhaps it was the same ring.

A beep.

"Why do you care so much!?" Gabriel asked, dropping the bottle he was about to throw. "Because…you…you're ruining your son's life. You're always gone, you're never there for him. He's always following your rules and doing his best to impress you because all he wants is for you to smile. He wants to make you happy. He wants to make you proud." Chat said, finding himself speaking from the heart. As Adrien, not Chat Noir. "It would seem that he has disappointed me more than made me proud." Gabriel said, starting to sound a bit more like his normal self. "And how's that?" Chat asked.

Another beep.

"He has become a superhero. My worst enemy behind my back, under my nose. And all for what. Just delaying the inevitable. I will capture your miraculouses, and I will be the most powerful being in the universe!" Gabriel paused, smiling as he watched Chat's face fall as he realized what was happening. The cold, hard truth hit Chat like a brick. He looked back at Ladybug to see her still trying to get out of her trap. Good. She hadn't caught on to the conversation. Chat looked back at his father. "You're lying." he said, voice cracking.

The third beep.

Gabriel smiled. He had finally found the identity of one of the two superheros causing him so much suffering. "Am I? Let's make a deal." Gabriel started, walking up to the teenager. He was starting to sound exactly like his normal self now. Before saying anything else, Gabriel swept his leg under Chat's feet and watched as the boy feel onto his back. Grinning, Gabriel switched places with the superhero. "You have already trapped your partner for me, so now I have your attention." Gabriel said. Chat lifted his now throbbing head up to watch his father grin. "Give me your miraculous or Ladybug is finished." Gabriel said, pulling a small, mini pocket knife from under his jacket.

"NO!" Chat yelled, throwing his arm up in an attempt to knock the knife out of his father's hands. All he managed to do was get his hand kicked. Chat couldn't believe this. His own father was using his method of protecting his lady against him. Chat didn't know what else to do. There was no other alternative. "Chat! Don't you dare give him your miraculous!" Ladybug yelled. "Why not!? He'll hurt you if I don't!" Chat yelled back.

A fourth beep.

Chat looked at Ladybug, then at his father. Then at the ground.


	5. AN: New Poll

**So...I'm about to connect with you guys on a personal level here.**

 **Ever have one of those moments when your family finds out you're writing stories and they search for them on the internet.**

 **Yeah, that just happened.**

 **So now my mom is wanting me to write a book over the summer and publish it on like Amazon or something.**

 **So I might not be posting as often as I should. But I'll do my best. Plus when it's finished, you guys can go check it out.**

 **If you want, I could give you guys a summary of what I'm thinking about and I could get all of your feedback. Just let me know.**

 **Now that that's covered, I want you guys to know that I've posted a poll on my page. Asking what you think should happen in the last chapter of Some Then None.**

 **I've kind of got writers block, so I wanted to see what you guys think should happen.**

 **Thanks for staying awesome!**

 **~ Masked Revenge**


	6. Done For

**Hey guys, sorry this took so long. I looked at the votes and it looks like you guys wanted a reveal. So, here goes nothing!**

The last pad was almost gone. And Chat knew what he had to do. "I-I'll give you my miraculous. Just don't, don't hurt her." Chat said with a broken voice. "Chat, I forbid you!" Ladybug yelled, tears stinging her eyes. "Shut it, bug!" Gabriel snapped. "Let her go." Chat demanded. "What?" Gabriel asked. "Let Ladybug go first. So at least I'll know she's safe." Chat said, staring directly at Ladybug. Gabriel made no attempts to move. Chat looked to his father one more time and spoke. "Let her go, and I'll give you my miraculous. Cat's honor." Chat smirked. Gabriel thought about this for a moment. He was positive that Chat Noir was his son Adrien Agreste, but he wanted to add salt to the wound and let Ladybug in on the secret. "Very well. I will release her from the cage." Gabriel said, putting the knife down. Ladybug watched as Gabriel stepped back to giver her room. She quickly found a loose bar and with some effort, she moved it slightly to giver herself enough room to slip out.

"Chat! You-you can't do this" Ladybug said, running towards her partner. "I'm already doing it" Chat said as he smiled. "Don't be upset, M'lady. Frightened is not a good look on you" Chat said as he started to panic. He could feel the energy leaving his body. Ladybug caught sight of the green light riding up Chat's legs and quickly spun on her heels. "I knew it." Gabriel smiled. Adrien looked over to Ladybug who's back was turned to avoid seeing his identity. Adrien frowned as he watched a blur of black and green fly up to his face, then fall to his hands. Plagg said nothing, as he knew what was happening. Adrien slipped off his ring and smiled towards Plagg. "Ladybug. Leave" Adrien said. "What?!" Ladybug's voice came. "I want you to leave. Go outside and wait. Please" Adrien repeated. He heard Ladybug sigh as she headed back out through the door they entered from.

Plagg looked up to look Adrien in the face. Plagg's confused expression would've made Adrien chuckle if they weren't in the situation they were in. Adrien gave Plagg a knowing look and that told Plagg everything he needed to know. Putting his model face on, Adrien faced his father and reached out his hand with the ring in it. Gabriel smiled as he picked it up and gazed at it. Now all he needed was Ladybug's miraculous and ultimate power was his for the taking. "Adrien. I know you love jumping over buildings and risking your life, but I need you to stay in your room. I will have your schedule ready by tomorrow." Gabriel said, holding the ring behind his back. Now Adrien was confused. Gabriel sounded like his normal boring self now. Not an all powerful super villain. And he expected Adrien to just go up to his room like nothing had happened?! Adrien watched as Gabriel turned to head back to his office, stepping over all of the broken glass on the floor.

Adrien took in a deep breath and started to slowly follow his father's path. Stepping at the same time his father was so that he could be as silent as possible. When Gabriel turned around, a hand swiped at his arm and he lost his hold on the ring. Spinning his head around, Gabriel caught sight of blonde hair and a white jacket. The realization hit him like a brick. Adrenalin and rage fueled his body and he started to chase after his so-called son. Adrien kept pushing things over and blocking Gabriel's path, but it didn't work much. Adrien remembered what he had asked of Ladybug and headed for the door. "No! We had a deal!" Gabriel yelled as he chased after Adrien. "Deal's off!" Adrien yelled back. He slammed into the door with Gabriel right on his heels.

As he looked back behind him, he crashed into something. Lifting his hands to see that they were bleeding a little from the impact, but other than that, he was fine. He looked down to see what he had crashed into and his eyes widened. He had landed on Ladybug. He quickly got up off of her and put his hand on her shoulder to make sure he hadn't hurt her. "A-adrien?!" Ladybug said. "Uh..Hi." Adrien said, he could feel a slight blush forming on his cheeks, but the feeling quickly disappeared when he saw his father standing just a few feet away. "What are you doing?" Ladybug asked, completely forgetting that this was the same boy her civilian form stuttered in front of. "I kinda went back on our deal." Adrien explained as he showed her his ring. "Then lets finished this." Ladybug said, a determined look on her face.

"Lucky charm!" She yelled. "What are we supposed to do with this?" She asked herself. In her hands was a spotted pencil. "Maybe we can bore him to death by writing an essay." Adrien commented. Ladybug smiled. He was defiantly her kitty. Ladybug looked around and found that Gabriel's foot and the pencil lit up. She smiled, knowing what to do. Ladybug looked towards Adrien and gave him a calm look, telling him that it was all going to be okay. Adrien smiled back. Ladybug started to run towards Gabriel, getting the pencil ready. "What do you plan to do with a mere pencil?!" Gabriel smiled, raising his arms to get ready for a fight. Ladybug said nothing, but only stopped short and rolled the pencil under Gabriel's moving foot. Gabriel lost his balance and started to fall to the ground. Once his back hit the concrete Ladybug used her yo-yo- to tie his arms to his chest. The fight was over.

* * *

The cops had taken Gabriel away to a reinforcement center for a while. And an ambulance had come as well, but it wasn't needed. A doctor looked over Adrien and decided that he was fine, but should take it easy. And the cut on his cheek would need stitches. But the really depressing news came when they found out that Adrien would have to be a foster kid. This did not please him.

Ladybug sat down on the stairs next to her secret crush and sighed. "What now?" Adrien asked. "I-I don't know." Ladybug said, looking down at her knees. "My father turns out to be Hawk Moth. A super villain that we've been searching for for a long time now. My identity has been revealed and to top it all off...I have no where to live now." Adrien said, tears starting to form. Ladybug didn't know what to do, so all she did was hug him. They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for what seemed like forever until an idea hit Ladybug. "What if you came to live with me. My parents would surly be fine with it and we-" "No. I can't do that to you" Adrien interrupted. "What do you mean?" Ladybug asked. "Wouldn't that mean I would have to know your identity?" Adrien asked. "Yeah. But I don't mind. I already know yours, so why can't you know mine?" Ladybug reasoned.

"I-I guess." Adrien agreed. "It's official. You're staying with me at my house." Ladybug said, smiling as she stood up. Adrien stood up with her and smiled. He wasn't sure how to feel at the moment. He was about to see Ladybug without her mask. Ladybug wrapped her arm around his hips and threw her other arm up to swing up to head to her house. After about half a minute they arrived. They landed in front of the Dupain-cheng bakery. "The bakery? This is where you live?" Adrien asked. "Yep." Ladybug answered. "Marinette?" Adrien whispered. Ladybug smiled as she turned the corner to get out of sight. And Marinette came back out, blushing. "Told you we might know each other in real life." Adrien smiled as he took Marinette's hand in his own.

Marinette's heart was racing, but it was starting to slow down when she remembered that Adrien had fallen in love with her, without even knowing who she was. Now all she had to worry about was all of the posters hanging in her room.


End file.
